World's first! Shibuya Future Design holds an air race in Shibuya to watch with AR (Augmented Reality)!

A total of eight air race pilots, including Yoshihide Muroya from Japan, Matt Hall from Australia, and Pete McLeod from Canada, participated in that memorable world-first competition, and held the digital round finals in Shibuya, the center of Japanese culture, and the Psychic VR Inc. Lab's real metaverse platform "STYLY ( https://styly.cc (AR), which allows users to watch the game in AR.

About Air Racing

Air racing is a motor sport in which contestants compete in flight techniques, aircraft performance, and speed using airplanes. The event consists of a series of grueling aerial time trials at speeds of up to 370 km/h and loads of up to 10 Gs, and is often described as the "Formula 1 of the skies.

About AIR RACE X

AIR RACE X is the next generation of motorsports, establishing an unprecedentedly innovative competition format and spectator style through a new racing format that combines actual flight with the latest digital technology.

Pilots will actually fly to locations around the world and compete for time in a remote format. Spectators can watch the pilots' flights from afar up close using augmented reality (AR) technology.

This format is called "digital rounds" and consists of qualifiers held over six days and a final tournament held over one day.

In the Digital Round, competition data is generated by collecting and analyzing ultra-high-precision flight data from pilots flying around the world online. The competition data is then visualized using augmented reality (AR) technology. On the day of the finals, the pilots will be able to watch their flights on the streets of Shibuya, offering a new way to enjoy motorsports.

About Public Viewing with STYLY

This new style of spectating offered by AIR RACE X is made possible by the advanced technology of the STYLY real metaverse platform.

The audience is invited to view the "STYLY" application (https://gallery.styly.cc), you can watch the race planes fly through the streets of Shibuya as if it were happening right in front of your eyes. These events will also be streamed online to the world, so you can enjoy the excitement of the race on live video just as you have done in the past air races.

AIR RACE X will offer a new style of spectating as "5-dimensional motorsports" that transcends time and space by making full use of the latest technology.

Host City Shibuya Ward Mayor Ken Hasebe comments

I am delighted to hear that Air Race X will be held in Shibuya for the first time in the world, and I am delighted that this wonderful event will be held in harmony with the energy of this city.

I sincerely hope that this event will be an opportunity to experience the power and speed of aircraft up close in Shibuya, and to actively welcome the stimulation and vitality that this event will bring to Shibuya as a new type of sports entertainment in the fusion of real and virtual worlds, and to further enhance the appeal of the area.

Comment from Yoshihide Muroya, Japanese pilot

There are many obstacles to overcome in order to bring back "air racing" as we know it. On the other hand, advances in digital technology have made many things possible that were previously impossible.

We decided to start with what we can do, while also making use of such technology." We will continue to evolve AIR RACE X step by step, and we hope you will support us in this endeavor. I hope you will support us.

Comments by Nobuhiko Watanabe, COO, Psychic VR Lab, Inc.

AIR RACE X" is the world's first attempt to transform urban spaces around the world into race venues through digital technology. The core technology supporting the realization of this project is the real metaverse platform "STYLY".
STYLY" extends the real urban space itself into an experiential media with XR technology. In the future, sports will not be limited to mere spectating, but will even be able to create new rules in sports spectating, utilizing Web3 and NFT communities, further changing the way we enjoy sports.

These urban XR entertainment we are creating will not "replace" the real world, but will create a completely new experience by "merging" virtual technology into the current world. We believe that this will create a flow of people in the city and propose a new lifestyle.

The "AIR RACE X" project represents the future of sports spectating, and represents a new form of entertainment that no one has ever achieved before.

Benefits of the new AIR RACE X race format

With the sports and entertainment industry being greatly affected by the current global situation, this new race format will allow pilots to participate in races at any time of the day, regardless of borders or time zones.

AIR RACE X Based on a common course layout created by the event headquarters, competitors actually fly between track markers placed at the same positions and intervals, and are measured using the latest sensing technology.

Pilots can try out as many practices as they wish during the period in the race area where they are based, and the number of flights they can make will allow them to compete in ever more advanced flying techniques.

Augmented Reality (AR) Expands Possibilities for Sports Spectators and Cities

This event will use STYLY's augmented reality (AR) technology to turn Shibuya and other urban areas around the world into race venues, where flying is actually impossible, thereby extending not only the entertainment potential of the event but also the potential for urban use.

This will result in an innovative public viewing experience that transcends time and space and represents a new future form of sports spectating. It will provide a new kind of enthusiasm born from an unprecedented experience.

Outline of the event

Name of the event: AIR RACE X 2023 - SHIBUYA DIGITAL ROUND
Date: Sunday, October 15, 2023
Public viewing venue: to be announced soon (Shibuya)
Live broadcast will be available on the special website of AIR RACE X Shibuya from 16:00 Japan time.
Organizer: Air Race X Executive Committee (Pathfinder Inc., Strategic Partners Corporation, STYLY, NOIZ, Shibuya Future Design Inc.)
Official site:https://www.airracex.com/

reference image
AIR RACE X Promotional Movie https://youtu.be/emvkPDhy7jk
AIR RACE X Overview Video https://youtu.be/-KBOG_DXO4o
AIR RACE X AR spectator demo video https://youtu.be/DaoTh-8n2NU

How to watch the Digital Round

This year's tournament will have a dedicated spectator area in Shibuya. Spectators will be able to use the real metaverse platform "STYLY" (https://gallery.styly.cc/about/jaBy holding up an XR device or a smartphone with the application (see below) installed, visitors can enjoy the realistic sight of racing aircraft racing through the streets of Shibuya.

The race will also be broadcast online to the entire world, so that the excitement of the race can be enjoyed on live video just as it has been in the past air races.

About the Players　

Yoshihide Muroya

Date of birth: January 27, 1973
Location: Japan (Fukushima Prefecture)

In 1991, at the age of 18, he began glider flight training. 2009, he became the first Asian pilot to compete in the 3-D motorsports series, the Red Bull Air Race World Championships, and in 2016, he won the Chiba event for the first time. The following year, in 2017, he won 4 out of 8 World Series events, becoming the first Asian to win the annual overall championship.

Matt Hall

Date of birth: September 16, 1971
Location: Australia

At age 15, he made his first solo flight in a glider and received his pilot's license at age 18.
A former Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot, he received numerous decorations during his time in the Air Force, including Fighter Pilot of the Year. 2009 was his first year competing in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, and in his final season of air racing in 2019 he was crowned World Champion.

Pete McLeod

Date of birth: February 23, 1984
Location: Canada

At less than two months old, he took his first flight in his family's airplane. At the age of 16, he obtained his pilot's license, and in 2004, he competed in aerobatic competitions across the United States. He went undefeated and became the North American Collegiate Aerobatic Champion.

He decided to become the first Canadian pilot to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2009, and in 2017 he finished third overall for the year.

*The other five pilots will be announced at a later date.

AIR RACE X Digital Round Competition Rules

⚫︎ Race Format
AIR RACE X offers a new style of spectating for many fans with a new race format that combines actual flight and digital technology. Teams will accumulate championship points in several digital rounds in a remote format, and in the future, the teams with the highest points will gather in real life for the Grand Championship (final round) to compete for the annual championship.

⚫︎ remote-compete
The race course for the digital round, which is conducted in remote format, is created by measuring the exact position and spacing at each pilot's base. The latest sensing technology is used to measure all flight details, and the flight data is collected and analyzed by the competition headquarters. These data are then used for the competition.

⚫︎ Qualifying (6 days)
A one-on-one round-robin format. Each team nominates its opponent prior to the flight via an online platform provided by AIR RACE X. The nominated teams will fly during the qualifying period. All teams compete against each other in a round-robin format, and game points (victory points) are tallied. The top four teams in game points (wins) will advance to the final tournament.

⚫︎ where the final will be held
The final tournament is a one-on-one tournament format between the four teams that have qualified. Semi-finals (Semi-finals HEAT 1 and HEAT 2) will be played with one flight for each team. The winners of HEAT 1 and HEAT 2 advance to the FINAL. The Final (FINAL HEAT) will be a final between the two teams. The winner will win the tournament. The winner will be crowned the tournament champion.

⚫︎Final tournament results announced
Flight data for the final tournament will be recorded during the qualifying period and will be kept private by the competition until the day of the final. At the finals, a live race broadcast will be distributed simultaneously around the world, and the results will be made public. The winner of the tournament will be decided by the results released on the day of the finals.

At the spectator site, a race plane reproduced with STYLY's augmented reality (AR) technology will fly in front of you in time with the live race program, and a powerful race will unfold in front of your eyes. The audience will be able to watch the race at speeds of up to 400km/h in an unprecedented environment, such as in the city, which would be impossible to achieve in real life.

About Pathfinder

Pathfinder Inc. is a comprehensive airline promotion company that develops airline promotion projects, produces airline events, and in recent years has been engaged in all aspects of airline-related business, including the training of airline personnel.

Especially in aviation events, we are able to provide world-class operations based on our experience in operating and participating in air races around the world. We also focus on human resource development projects based on our own facility (HANGAR 1) located in Fukushima Sky Park, in cooperation with the government.

About Psychic VR Lab

Psychic VR Lab is the company behind the real metaverse platform STYLY.
In an age where reality and virtuality overlap, we aim to create a world where everyone can wear the space by creating a cultural and economic ecosystem that utilizes XR technology.

About STYLY　

STYLY is a real metaverse platform that enables the creation and distribution of XR content linked to urban spaces, and has facilitated many creator training and location-based projects.

STYLY is equipped with 3D data of cities around the world, which can be used to create and distribute contents linked to the real space. Furthermore, STYLY is compatible with multiple devices, allowing users to experience AR content on a variety of devices including smartphones, AR/MR glasses, web browsers, and VRHMDs.

We will continue to collaborate with creators and cities around the world to promote the "Real Metaverse" that augments the real world with technology, and create an "era of wearing space" where XR/Real Metaverse is used in our lifestyles.
URL:. https://styly.cc/

About Shibuya Future Design

Based on diversity and inclusion, Shibuya Future Design is an industry-government-academia-industry collaboration organization that gathers the ideas and talents of the diverse people who gather in Shibuya, including those who live, work, study, and visit, across disciplines, and designs solutions and possibilities for social issues through open innovation. By presenting the world from Shibuya as a new possibility for urban living, we aim to lead to the sustainable development of not only Shibuya City but also society as a whole.
*Press kit download page:https://00m.in/abLmw